


Hostage

by fuckthenaysayers



Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: GTA!AU, Gen, Grand Theft Auto Online, Hostage Situations, M/M, Robbery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-22
Updated: 2014-08-01
Packaged: 2018-02-10 00:46:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2004390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fuckthenaysayers/pseuds/fuckthenaysayers
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Seen too much?! You're both wearing full fucking masks, I haven't seen shit!"</p><p>Michael clapped a hand over his mouth, panic rising as he realized he just mouthed off at the very people who held his life in their hands right now. Rather than seem angry though, the blue-eyed one laughed a little.</p><p>"Feisty. I like him. Been a while since we took a hostage, and I bet we may need one since I can hear those sirens getting closer."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

There were two jobs no one truly wanted in the city of Los Santos. One: police officer.Two: convenience store clerk. Unfortunately for Michael Jones, when the pay from his electrician job and semi-popular youtube channel wasn’t quite enough to pay the bills, the only job with flexible hours available to him was the second worst job to have. So that’s why he was there, leaning on the counter in front of him in a small rundown 24-hour convenience store, thumbing through one of the newspapers they offered in a desperate try to not be bored out of his skull. He half-heartedly read an article about the ever growing gang crime rate in the city, an incredibly blurry picture of the infamous Fake AH Crew next to the article. It was his third day working the midnight shift, and he knew already that he wasn’t gonna get many customers.

Someone had already tried to rob him the night before, but it had just been him and Michael was given a bat behind his counter for just such an occasion. But as two men wandered into the store as blantantly ‘innocent-looking’ as possible, he knew it wouldn’t be as easy to fight his way out of this one. They were clearly up to no good, each of them wearing a strange matching mask, which looked like it was made out of famous los santos signs, the vinewood sign under their right eye and what was made to look like a postcard of los santos emblazoned over where their mouths would be. Michael straightened up, eyeing them warily, wondering if he made a dash for the door if they’d let him go or gun him down on the spot.

He already hit the silent alarm under the counter, neither of them seemed to have noticed that. Finally they decided to make their move, pulling out their guns, one aimed at him, the other focused on the door on the off-chance they got interrupted.

"I don’t think we need to really tell you what to do, now do we?"

One of them asked, the one pointing at him. All Michael could see of him were striking blue eyes through the only two holes in the mask, but he could bet the guy was smiling from the tone of his voice. Michael shook his head, popping the register and hurriedly filling a plastic bag with all the cash he could.

"Hurry it up! I can hear the sirens from here, the bloody bastard probably hit the alarm already!"

The one watching the door whined, Michael could hear he was English, the odd lilt somehow comforting, even as he raced to empty his register of money. The blue-eyed one ‘hmm’ed in response to his partner’s anxiety, glancing from the other man and back to Michael. Michael finished, handing over the bag with a trembling hand and backing against the wall behind him, unsure what was going to happen now that his only job was done.

"What’ll we do with him now?"

"We’ve gotta kill him, right? He’s seen too much."

"Seen too much?! You’re both wearing full fucking masks, I haven’t seen shit!"

Michael clapped a hand over his mouth, panic rising as he realized he just mouthed off at the very people who held his life in their hands right now. Rather than seem angry though, the blue-eyed one laughed a little.

"Feisty. I like him. Been a while since we took a hostage, and I bet we’ll need one since I can hear those sirens getting closer."

He tossed the money bag to his British partner, going around the counter and grabbing Michael roughly by the arm, his other hand pointing the gun right at the side of his head.

"Play nice and follow us and I won’t have to use this, okay?"

Michael nodded fervently, stumbling over his own feet as the masked man yanked him out from behind the counter, the three of them heading out the front and right into a white unmarked van parked in the alley next to the store, a man in a matching mask in the driver’s seat.

"Didn’t realize we were allowed to bring a guest tonight."

"Just shut up and drive."

The blue-eyed one didn’t seem in the mood for the driver’s jokes, but that didn’t stop the driver from letting out a deep, throaty chuckle as he shifted the car into drive and peeled out of the alley. The drive was strange and awkward, the robbers letting Michael sit freely for a few minutes before deciding to tie his hands behind his back, just in case. Michael rolled his eyes, squirming uncomfortably as the British one did it.

"Oh yeah, because if my hands were free I was so gonna try something in a van against three people with guns. Gonna blindfold me too? Just in case my eyes shoot fucking lasers or something?"

"No, but I’m starting to consider gagging you."

The Brit replied in a sour tone, his two partners in crime laughing under their breath and trying to feign indifference. It was actually almost refreshing to have a mouthy hostage, much better than a sniveling crying one like they usually ended up with. Perhaps not the smartest guy to be doing so, but they were much more likely to keep him around if he’s cracking jokes, and not screaming bloody murder.

It was silent for a little while, the van finally stopping soon after and the three robbers got out hurriedly, Michael being pulled along by the blue-eyed one out the side door. It took but a moment for him to recognize that they were at the beach, more specifically a small not-well-known pier where there was a speedboat seemingly waiting just for them. A man was standing on it, a ginger beard peeking out of the bottom of the mask but otherwise nothing noticeable. An engine could be heard and Michael turned a bit in the blue-eyed man’s grasp, watching as a thin man in a helmet drove up on a motorcycle, something that looked suspiciously like a rifle slung around his back. He slowed and stopped in front of Michael, pulling off the helmet and revealing the same mask everyone else was wearing. Michael couldn’t hold in the laugh that bubbled up from the fact that the cyclist had been wearing the helmet over the mask.

"That’s nothing, he’s got another mask under that one."

The blue-eyed man said with a chuckle, the group laughing a bit as though they didn’t just commit a veritable list of felonies. The laughter died down for a moment before the blue-eyed man spoke again.

"Well, let’s get going before the 5-O finds our trail."

A mumble of agreements came from everyone and Michael guessed Blue Eyes must’ve been the leader of the group. They all got onto the boat, Brit helping Michael get settled in, the bearded one sitting down at the driver’s seat and starting up the boat. They were off in a matter of moments, and the deep-voiced one tapped him on the shoulder.

"Look behind us."

Michael did, just in time to see the van and the motorcycle go up in flames, the van exploding a bit quickly after. Nothing spectacular, but it was enough to make him mutter ‘holy shit’ under his breath, eyes wide as he turned back around. The motorcycle guy was pulling off his mask, and underneath was indeed another mask. Just around his eyes though, strangely similar to something he’d seen in an anime. The deep voiced guy was next, strangely also masked underneath his tourist mask, though his was a deeply unsettling skull.

The boat driver unmasked and though Michael couldn’t see his face fully, he noted the thick orange beard, and glasses and suddenly the group was looking more and more familiar. The Brit pulled his off next, revealing a dopey grin and a gigantic nose that confirmed just what Michael had thought. He thought back to the newspaper he’d been looking at before he was robbed, with the picture of Los Santos’ most reknowned gang on it.

The picture had been blurry, but just clear enough to spot a few specific features on everyone. The picture had a bearded man with glasses, a skull-masked man, a man with a big nose and sunglasses, a small man with a white eyemask, and a man with a handlebar moustache. As Blue Eyes took off his mask, a meticulously groomed handlebar moustache was revealed, along with a playful smile.

"What’s your name, kid?"

Blue Eyes asked.

"M-Michael."

"We’re the Fake AH Crew. Nice to meet you, Michael."


	2. Chapter 2

The ride back to wherever they were going was relatively quiet. Michael had been shocked into silence from finding out that he had been taken hostage by the Fake AH crew, and the men didn't seem to pay him any mind, chatting amongst each other about how well their robbery had gone, congratulating the skull-masked guy on a heist well done.

"Much safer idea than your last one."

"How was I supposed to know a cargobob would go so slow with an armored truck attached to it?!"

"You're lucky we had parachutes on just in case we had to bail early, that could've been bad."

The skull man chuckled at the boat driver's complaints, that deep voice sending a little chill down Michael's spine as he sat in the back of the speedboat, hands still tied behind his back.

"Oh you know I wouldn't plan something I didn't think we could all walk away from safely."

"Liar."

The group seemed very close, joking and laughing, seemingly without a care. Michael just sat there, trying not to feel terrified for his life now that everything was catching up with him. He couldn't bring himself to be snarky now that he'd seen their faces. He could now give perfect descriptions of all of them, minus the two still-masked ones, so much that he knew there was no way he'd be let free alive. They continued on for a few minutes more before finally parking, pulling up to a small bare dock on the far northern beach, not a single other person in sight.

Pulling Michael to his feet, the crew leader led him off the boat and to a small beach shack, which seemed relatively inconspicuous, there were plenty around the more popular beach areas. The boat driver pulled out a key and unlocked it, the group heading inside and locking it behind them. Michael was pushed onto a dingy couch, the old springs in it creaking under his weight, and then again as the skull-masked man and the big nosed guy joined him.

"So what was our haul today?"

The Skull man asked, Big Nose grinning and opening the bag he'd been clutching since Blue Eyes tossed it to him before. He pulled out the money, Michael knew it wasn't too much, but they probably didn't expect a lot from a convenience store to begin with. Michael had emptied his entire register into it, only the unrolled coins left alone. Big Nose pulled out just the bills, the few coin rolls still in the bag making a soft 'clunk' as the bag was tossed aside. The Brit made a half-assed attempt to count it all before huffing and handing it over to Skull, who took it with a breathy laugh.

"Mm, not too much this time, eh? A little over 500, not really worth the effort. Why didn't you get him to open the safe?"

"We tried that last time and the idiot took forever, remember? We had to duck into the old subway tunnels because the cops were on us by the time we got outta there."

"Uh, to be fair, I've been working there literally three days, so I don't know the safe code."

Michael added in quietly, Skull looking over and sighing a little in understanding. He seemed to still for a moment, before grabbing at the back of his head, pulling off the mask and taking in a deep breath of relief. Michael studied the new face well, light brown hair slightly matted down against the man's face, sticking to the edges from sweat. His eyes were a lighter blue than Blue Eyes, but not nearly as striking. If anything, Michael would describe him as sterotypically handsome, only furthered by the charming, and slightly worrying, grin he put on.

"Seeing as you've seen so much already, I get the feeling seeing my face won't matter much. Are we telling Michael our names, or letting him refer to us by our most noticeable features in his head?"

The second part was directed at his fellow crew members, but the look of shock was clear on Michael's face over the man easily guessing how Michael was thinking of them. Skull caught the look, grinning widely.

"Don't look so shocked, I think it's a common habit for people to associate people with their more outstanding bits."

"I guess we can tell him, but first I'd kind of like to hear the names. Sounds fun."

Blue Eyes joined in, walking over and crouching in front of Michael, staring at him with an eager grin.

"So tell us, who are we?"

Michael looked around, all the men giving him at least some of their attention, waiting to bestowed with the simple names he'd given them all in his head. He cleared his throat, looking at Skull.

"Well uh, you're Skull, though I briefly considered Chuckles too, seeing as I am like constantly hearing some laughter from you."

"Fitting. My name is Ryan, but I'd be fine with Skull also, sounds kind of mysterious."

"Sounds like you have a fucking skull, that's about it. How's about me? My actual name's Ray, by the way."

Michael's gaze turned to the smallest in the crew, who was grinning brightly as he untied the white eyemask from behind his head and pulling it off. As though he hadn't had plenty layers on his head already, he revealed a pair of black rimmed glasses, fitting his face well along with the thin beard covering the lower half of his face.

"Mask. Though I guess I should really be saying... Tuxedo Mask?"

"Holy shit this guy gets it!"

Ray's grin was split across his face, bright white teeth sparkling as he bounced a bit in excitement, looking around at his crew excitedly.

"None of these assholes ever got what my mask is from before! Man, I like you already!"

Michael laughed a little, feeling a bit more at ease. Ray seemed close to his age, maybe something about his innocent look helped him calm down somewhat. Big Nose leaned over Ryan, looking rather eager to hear Michael continue, that dopey smile still on his face as he eyed up the stranger.

"Me next! I'm Gavin."

"Yours wasn't especially thought out, I'm afraid. I've just been referring to you as Big Nose or The Brit, honestly."

"Aww bloody hell, I should've known."

Gavin was pouting, and Michael huffed and rolled his eyes.

"Well what else was I gonna pick up on? What should I call ya instead? Poofy hair? Slim? Weird English fuck who makes sounds like a bird?"

"A bird?"

"That crazy squawking you did when you almost fell out of the boat trying to get off."

"Alright, alright, jeez."

He was still pouting but the rest of the group was laughing, Beard getting in closer to join the conversation. Getting a proper frontal view of him for the first time, Michael was surprised at how especially normal he seemed to look. Glasses, hazel eyes, a thick ginger beard. Looked like the kind of guy he'd run into at Home Depot or at the mini golf course.

"Jack."

Was all he said, so Michael responded in one word too.

"Beard."

"Who didn't see that coming?"

Ryan said with another low chuckle, the rest of the group joining as Jack flushed a little and laughed along with them. Seems Michael wasn't even close to the first to go straight for the beard angle. A hand on his knee directed his attention back to the man who had been crouching in front of him since the start. Blue Eyes was still there, an amused smile on his lips but his eyes still seemed cold and steely, staring straight at Michael, unwavering.

"And me?"

Michael had his reply ready to go but it caught in his throat as their eyes locked, brown to blue, and he lost himself for a moment. He broke it quickly, eyes darting down to take in the rest of the leader's features. Bedhead, droopy sleepy eyes, ears that stuck out just a bit too much, and that perfectly coiffed handlebar mustache. The strangely attractive leader to the bunch of misfits that made up Los Santos' most well-known gang to date. He cleared his throat once more, the words escaping breathier than he'd meant them to be.

"Blue Eyes."


	3. Chapter 3

"Blue Eyes."

The leader leaned back a little, a content smile on his face as he took in the nickname, looking somewhat proud about it.

"Blue Eyes, huh? Sounds almost as good as Geoff, eh?"

There wasn't any chuckling at this name, though a couple of them hummed in thought over it. Ray looked a bit surprised, eyes locked on Geoff as though trying to figure out what he would've said instead.

"I think I would've gone with Moustache."

"Or Tattoos."

Ryan joined in, smirking a bit. Gavin bounced in place on the couch, eager to join the conversation.

"Or Sleepy!"

"Dopey would work too."

Jack said with a little laugh, Geoff huffing a little bit and looking far less menacing than he had, almost embarrassed. He stood up, arms crossing.

"Enough fucking around, jeez, let's get the fuck home already."

Michael couldn't stop himself from muttering as he stood back up.

"He's more like Grumpy now."

A chorus of laughs followed, the group getting up and following their leader outside, Geoff disappearing into a small grouping of trees on the edge of the beach, the group standing where they were until he called out for them. Michael was made to follow, Gavin looping their arms and smiling playfully when Michael gave him a little glare over it. They went into the trees, a black minivan waiting for them, a camouflage tarp pulled off to the side.

"A minivan? You guys end your big heists by driving home in a car meant for soccer moms?"

"Hey! Don't diss the minivan, it fits all of us and is totally inconspicuous. Plus, it gets great mileage."

Geoff was grinning a little, getting into the front passenger seat, Jack circling the car and getting in the driver's seat, the rest of the group piling into the back. Michael was made to sit in the far back, Gavin sitting with him, Ryan and Ray seated in the middle seats with Ryan holding the money bag. The drive home was a little long, taking at least a half hour to get back into the city from where they'd arrived from. Some streets looked familiar, and by the time they parked Michael was positive they were on Power Street, only a few blocks away from the convenience store they had began at.

They got out of the car, Gavin having untied him while they rode so he wouldn't draw suspicion, the group heading into a tall, nice-looking apartment building. Crowding into the elevator, Geoff pressed the highest number. Of course they'd be in the penthouse. The ride up wasn't too long, the doors dinging and the group headed out, Geoff unlocking the single door ahead of them and letting them inside. It was beautiful, not incredibly fancy but enough to show that they clearly had the cash to spend.

"Welcome to casa del Fake AH crew. Hope you enjoy your stay."

Ray announced brightly, heading straight to the couch and flopping onto it, grabbing the remote in the process. The group seemed to separate, Ryan and Geoff heading to the dining room to recount their earnings, Gavin joining Ray on the couch and Jack heading off down a hall without a word. Michael stood in the entrance, looking around awkwardly, still not really sure just what was going to happen with him. He moved to the couch after a moment, sitting at the far end, eyes darting from person to person. Ray and Gavin looked over at him, the awkwardness and silence spreading for a moment before Ray spoke up.

"We were gonna play some xbox. Do you play?"

Michael's eyes stayed on him, nodding a little and taking the controller they tossed over. Cloudberry Kingdom was decided on, and he looked a little too excited for the choice. It was a game that few were especially 'good' at, and his many prior experiences with shitty games for his YouTube channel had made him incredible at it. It became clear to the other two rather quickly that he was in fact amazing, consistently getting them through the levels on his own almost every time. The few times he did fail though, he would curse and get loud, the game distracting him enough that it felt like he was just playing with friends.

His loudness caught the attention of Ryan and Geoff, the two finishing recounting and heading back out to the living room, Jack returning as well. They all watched the three younger men playing like they had been friends for years, laughing and shouting as they both succeeded and failed again and again. Ryan looked especially interested, Michael's loud voice suddenly ringing some bells. Wandering off for a moment, he grabbed his laptop from one of the other rooms, settling down in one of the armchairs they had, pulling something up.

"Hey, can you guys pause that for a moment?"

The younger men did so begrudgingly, focus turning to Ryan as the man smiled oddly and turned his laptop around so they could see the screen.

"It was Michael, wasn't it? I hadn't noticed until now but your voice sounded very, very familiar."

On the screen was a youtube page, the all too familiar name LtMkilla at the top and the playlist of Rage Quit open underneath. Geoff and Jack paled instantly, realizing just what they had done.

"Oh my fucking god, you're the Rage Quit guy!? No wonder you're amazing at this game!"

Ray said with a bright laugh, beaming brightly over the shocking news. Gavin looked excited too, the two younger men chatting happily with Michael, who looked about as shocked as the rest of them.

"You guys know my youtube?"

"Fuck yeah we do! You're hilarious, we about pissed ourselves laughing over that one you did for Crackdown 2."

"Man, this is fucking crazy."

"You're telling me."

Jack muttered, eyes locked on Geoff's face, the man looking somewhat panicked now. Ryan caught the look, shutting his laptop and getting up, the three older men rushing off to another room, the younger trio getting lost in their own conversation about Michael's channel.

"Geoff, what's the matter?"

Jack and Geoff shared a look before Geoff responded to Ryan's question.

"You know how Burnie had been talking about getting someone new to join Achievement Hunter? Not on heists or anything, just for videos, to round out our group and make it an even number."

"Yeah?"

"The guy who makes Rage Quit was at the top of his list of people to hire. Meaning we just kidnapped the guy he's looking to have join us, and I get the feeling he'll be less than thrilled to find out we almost fucking murdered the guy."

"I can see how this is a problem, but then again, maybe we've just saved him from having to contact him on his own. Maybe if we spin it right, we can act like you two knew all along he was who he was, and you took him to introduce him to his new 'coworkers'."

"...I knew there was a reason we had you in our crew."

"You mean besides my devilishly good looks and charm?"

Jack pushed him playfully, the group laughing a little as they returned to the younger group, who were still speaking avidly about youtube and gaming. Michael turned a little, looking shyly at the older three.

"Geoff, I'm sorry if this isn't like... normal hostage talk or whatever but I was kind of wondering what you are er, planning with me? Because I would really fucking like to live, and you guys seem like surprisingly cool dudes and I know you're all like scary fucking gangbangers and shit but..."

"We're not going to kill you."

"Thank fucking god."

Michael sighed loudly in relief, relaxing into the couch a bit, Geoff walking over and sitting down next to him.

"Actually, we've got a job offer for you."

"I-I'm not sure I'd be great in a gang, I've never even shot a gun before. Shocking, as someone who lives in Los Santos, I know, but I've just never really gotten into that-"

"It's not to join the gang, though I think we could find use for you here too."

"Oh...so then what's the job?"

"Have you heard of Achievement Hunter?"

"Achievement... yeah, yeah, I've seen some videos before. Pretty funny, it's a whole group of guys playing g-wait. Oh my fucking god, you guys are Achievement Hunter?"

"Well robbing may pay the bills, but an odd group like us needs some sort of cover as to why we're together all the time. Plus playing video games for a job is fun as dicks. We've been looking for a sixth person to round out our group, and you are our top choice. In any case, we will let you go even if you decide not to join, but I promise if you do you will never have to work a shitty little part-time job to pay your bills ever again."

Michael was silent for a minute, still taking in the new information. The entire night had been just a rollercoaster of intensity. He'd been taken hostage, driven all around Los Santos, tied up and terrified, but he could honestly say they hadn't been rough with him once. They had all the chances in the world to kill him, he'd just been baggage, but they let him live, even going so far as to reveal their names and faces to him.

He didn't have any proof that they'd hold up their promise and not end up killing him someday, but it wasn't as if he had anything to lose from this. The night had certainly beat just sitting around in that convenience store all night waiting on customers, and a future of working with them actually sounded kind of fun. Sitting up straight and taking a deep breath to steady himself, he grinned brightly, filled with resolve.

"Well, I guess I've got a new job."


	4. Chapter 4

It was weird at first. Like really, really weird. Michael had never really collabed with other youtubers before, and when he played games with friends it usually was four of them at most. Playing games with five other people was a whirlwind, he found himself lost sometimes at who was speaking. It was fun though, and he had to admit he really enjoyed getting paid a wage he could actually live on, since his personal channel didn't give him quite as much.

Geoff had invited him to move into their penthouse after a week, as they had plenty of room, but Michael politely declined, his apartment only a couple blocks over so he felt there wasn't much need. If he forgot about the fact that they were all secretly gang members, the group seemed like the funnest bunch of people he'd ever known.

The eldest man was like a father figure, always checking in to make sure Michael was okay. Jack was like the mother hen, constantly asking if Michael needed a drink or something to snack on when they recorded, and making sure that everyone was in a good mood. Ryan was playful and mischievous, playing pranks and murdering their players more than a few times when they played. Ray and Michael clicked ever since Michael recognized his mask, the two becoming total nerds whenever they talked, bonding over pokemon and old school anime. Gavin was a surprise, one part infuriating and one part hilarious, Michael hadn't expected to get so close to him especially, but after a few weeks he found himself enjoying all of their company.

He still felt a bit awkward now and then, but ultimately was enjoying the new job, and new coworkers. Though he was getting along with everyone, he'd noticed they all seemed to get along much more. Skinship was frequent, everyone having seemingly no problem horsing around all the time. It seemed like a daily thing that Gavin was on the floor wrestling around with someone. He even got Michael into once already, the two squirming on the ground and trying to get the better hand on each other. It ended with Michael pinning the thinner man down, panting and grinning down at him while Gavin stared up at him with a strange look.

Michael had written it off for the moment, but it came back to mind when he started noticing something strange. He'd seen little moments here and there that made him a little suspicious about just what kind of relationship the crew had with each other. They all seemed a bit too close for just friends or coworkers, even too close for being just roommates. They were really handsy with each other, and made little inside jokes all the time. No one could have a drink or snack without someone else sneaking a sip or bite without a second thought. But what really cinched the suspicion in Michael's mind, was that he was sure he saw Jack and Geoff share a kiss when they were all waiting for a game to load.

He didn't ask anyone about it, not wanting to disrupt the strange system they'd placed for themselves, but after a month of working there, he got the feeling they were hoping for him to. Gavin got even more grabby with him, Ray would make a show of sharing a drink with him, Ryan kept sneaking up and whispering things in his ear under the premise of a joke. It didn't stop the shiver that went down Michael's spine, or slow his frantic heart.

They were all attractive guys, in their own right. Michael had never really had a specific type, if people were hot that was all he needed. The five men he'd grown to know were certainly hot, but he didn't know who he'd really choose to go after, not sure who was really dating who and not wanting to disrupt their setup.

He would've left everything as it was, if he didn't agree to go to drinks with them one night. It was him, Gavin, and Geoff, the other three choosing to stay home. They got plastered, not heading back until the early hours of the morning.

"I gotta... I gotta go home and sleep."

Michael mumbled, Geoff and Gavin giggling as they all stumbled down the street together.

"Come over, Michael. Our place is closer, we've got plenty of room. It'll be fun!"

Gavin suggested, Michael grumbling in response as he thought it over.

"I guess... god I'm tired."

The three took their time getting home, Michael slumping to the floor of the elevator as sleepiness swept over him, eyes shutting and giving in to his tiredness. When he opened his eyes again, he was in a room he didn't recognize, staring up at the ceiling. Sitting up and rubbing his eyes, Michael realized he was in a bed, in the same clothes from yesterday. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he saw it was much later than he expected, already almost noon.

Shuffling out of the room, he headed down a hallway towards voices. He could hear Jack and Ryan especially, their deep voices echoing down to him.

"So Michael came home with them last night, didn't he?"

"Yep. Nothing exciting, they just put him right to bed. In a literal sense.."

"Jack, you wound me. I didn't even say anything yet."

"That look on your face tells me all I need."

"Not sure why they didn't do anything though, it would've been the perfect way to approach it."

"Ryan, we can't spring this on Michael when he's drunk! It's a weird enough thing to do when he's sober."

"I'm just saying, the way Geoff keeps tiptoeing around it, we'll never invite Michael to join us at this rate."

Michael froze up, face flushing red as he realized Jack and Ryan were talking about him. Joining? Did they mean joining the relationship? Was it all of them then, all five of them in a romantic entanglement that Michael couldn't even begin to figure out. It didn't really deter him though, in fact not having to choose between them all only made him more keen on the idea. Turning back, he headed back into the bedroom he'd been in, laying back down and letting his thoughts swarm him.

\--

"Michael? We had something we wanted to talk to you about."

Geoff's voice turned Michael around in his chair. It'd been a couple weeks since Michael slept over, and nothing out of the ordinary had happened yet. He'd been waiting patiently for them to bring it up to him, too embarrassed to broach the subject himself. They'd just finished recording a Minecraft let's play, one that ended with everyone in a surprisingly good mood. Michael could swear he felt his heartbeat in his ears as his excitement and anxiety meshed and he let out a little 'yeah?' in reply to Geoff.

"You have really settled in great with our group. Everyone loves your addition to Achievement Hunter, audience included. You're a great guy, overall, more than we ever hoped you'd end up being."

"Thanks Geoff."

Michael smiled nervously, his brain already thinking of ways to reply to being asked to join their relationship without sounding too eager.

"You're very talented, too. You help Ryan out with our electrical problems when we get them, you're strong enough to pin almost all of us down when we horse around, and you follow direction perfectly. I know you don't really have any experience with it, but we think you'd really thrive as the sixth member of the Fake AH Crew."

His heart dropped, the nervous smile turning into a tight frown as his brows furrowed in confusion.

"W-What?"

"I know, gangs are scary, but if you think you're making good money working for Achievement Hunter, you'd have more than you know what to do with if you join the crew. You don't have to shoot anyone if you don't want, but Ryan thinks with your knowledge you'd be a great asset. We don't have anyone who could work with our electrical shit, like our satchel charges and bombs and stuff."

Michael looked shell-shocked, cheeks turning hot with embarrassment as he realized his mistake. He was such a fool to think they'd want him like that, of course it was about the gang. He ducked his head down, rubbing at his face with one hand in a poor attempt to hide his humiliation.

"Umm.. uh..."

He couldn't speak, he didn't even know what to think. He hadn't even thought of joining the crew before now, he'd been so focused on the idea of joining their relationship. The men could tell something was wrong, exchanging worried looks with each other. Geoff leaned in, cupping Michael's chin and forcing the younger man to show his face.

"Michael, what's wrong?"

Michael pulled back, his eyes focused on the wall to his left, sitting up straight and rubbing at the back of his neck as he tried to think up an excuse.

"Nothing's wrong! Sorry, I just wasn't expecting that."

"...You seemed to be expecting something, we thought you knew what we were planning for a while now."

"I guess some things got mixed up, I-I was expecting something else."

His face was a deep red now, eyes flickering to Geoff for just a second. It was plenty, Geoff immediately pulling a knowing face as he realized what Michael had been thinking. He blushed lightly too, a little flustered, but kept a smile on his face.

"Michael, were you expecting us to ask you to join our... relationship?"

A quiet chorus of 'ohh's came from the other men as they clued into what was happening, Michael nodding a little and looking down at his lap.

"It's okay! I just misunderstood, sorry to make shit weird or w-"

"Michael."

The curly-haired man paused, looking at Geoff, who'd leaned in close.

"We were hoping to get a little closer before springing that part on you, but if you're so eager to join already, we'd very much like you to."

Wide-eyed and hopeful, Michael nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Geoff leaned even closer, and kissed him. It was a bit rough, and a little tickly from the other man's mustache, and everything else Michael was hoping it'd be. He kissed back, tentatively at first, before getting into it and returning it more forcefully. When Geoff finally pulled away, Michael was breathless, a dazed smile on his face.

"There's plenty more of that to come, I hope you'll be up for it."

"Abso-fucking-lutely."

The group laughed, everyone looking happy and relieved. It was quiet for a moment, before Jack spoke.

"So about the other thing."

"Other thing?"

Michael repeated, already having forgotten what they'd first spoke of.

"Joining the Fake AH Crew. Would you be interested in that too?"

That stilled Michael for a moment. He really hadn't thought about it, but he definitely wasn't as opposed to it as he had when they first hired him to Achievement Hunter. Michael had always been someone to like the exciting and daring things, and though it would probably be very dangerous, the more he thought about it the more he wanted to try it out.

"I think I am, yeah."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> final chapter will be an epilogue, so forgive the length please~


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this is an epilogue, forgive the shortness.

"Charlie 1, your time to shine."

A group of men were on a boat, currently speeding away from the beach. A black van and two cop cars were parked on the sand, the patrol car's lights flashing and siren wailing as officers did their best to shoot at the shrinking target. One of the masked men pulled out a small device, pressing a button and instantly the black van exploded. It was a magnificent display of carnage, shrapnel littering the beach and making the cops scatter as one of their cars caught fire from the debris and their attention was diverted away from the men escaping them.

"Jesus christ, that explosion was even better than last time! You've got a gift, Charlie 1."

The masked man holding the device pulled off his mask, his curly hair sticking to his face from sweat. He grinned brightly, pale skin gleaming from their only source of light now; the moon above.

"You think so?"

Michael asked, his chest swelling with pride as his eyes flickered back to the red and orange blur that was the explosion's remnants, now too far away to see properly. The five other men pulled off their masks, all of them smiling and lauding Michael with praise for a proper finale. Geoff looked especially impressed, his gaze focused solely on Michael.

"I knew you'd make a great addition. You said you never used a gun before, but you sure picked it up fast."

"Not to mention he's still bloody good with just his fists too!"

Gavin interjected, Geoff nodding in agreeance.

"You really learned fast on the bombs too, that still shocks me."

"All the shit I've messed around with while being an electrician, after a couple weeks the bombs felt like second nature to me."

"We could never buy ones that blow with such vigor like the ones you make, definitely not for cheap at least. You've really become a part of the crew."

Ryan spoke now, a hand sliding around Michael's shoulder and pulling him close, smirking lightly. Michael smirked back, leaning in and kissing Ryan roughly, the older man returning it happily. The curly-haired man pulled away to breathe, a playful smile on his face.

"You know, if someone told me four months ago that I'd join the Fake AH crew, Achievement Hunter, and have five boyfriends, I'd think they were a fucking lunatic."

"And you'd still be working at that shitty convenience store. "

Ray reminded him, Michael shuddering at the thought. He sighed happily, leaning back a little in his seat on the boat and staring at the five men he'd grown to love over the past few months.

"I never thought getting taken hostage would be the best thing to ever happen to me."


End file.
